This invention relates to a class of 2-nitro-3-phenylbenzofuran compounds wherein the benzo or 3-phenyl portion of the molecule is bonded directly to an azide or an isocyanate group. These compounds are intermediates in the preparation of certain active antimicrobial agents.
Compounds wherein 2-nitro-3-phenylbenzofuran is substituted by certain neutral or acidic groups are known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,022,908; 4,048,323; 4,066,782; 4,067,993 and 4,124,704. No previous disclosure of compounds wherein the benzo or 3-phenyl portions of 2-nitro-3-phenylbenzofurans is substituted by an azide or an isocyanate group are known, however.